Gaming systems are becoming ever larger and more complex. Geographically, a gaming system may comprise hundreds of linked or unlinked gaming devices within a single casino. In addition, the systems may now span multiple properties, with gaming machines over a wide geographic area connected to one another or associated with the same system.
Today's gaming systems may have a variety of features or functions which make the system very complex. Of course, the operational components of a gaming system are likely to include a large number of gaming machines, table games, keno stations, cashier workstations, auditor workstation, accounting workstations, and many other related system elements. These system elements are likely to be connected to a host computer via a network. Via this connection, information may be transmitted to each gaming machine or other device and information may be transmitted from each gaming machine or device. This information may comprise a wide variety of information, such as security information and gaming machine activity information.
Each gaming machine may also be associated with a player tracking network. This network may include the same communication links and host computer. However, this portion of the system is specially adapted to perform such functions as receiving player identification, such as by a player tracking card inserted into a card reader at the gaming machine, and tracking of player game play information. This information may include coin in and coin out information from the gaming machine.
A gaming machine may also be associated with a progressive network or system. Here, a group of gaming machines are associated, and amounts wagered may be placed in a common pool which can be won playing any one of the machines associated with the progressive system.
A gaming machine may also be provided with a communication link to a financial system. This system or function includes components arranged to permit a player to use a credit card or similar form of credit associated with an outside financial institution for providing credit for playing the gaming machine.
A gaming machine may also be associated with a cashless transaction system, such as International Game Technology's EZ-PAY™ system. Such a system includes components arranged to print tickets representing monetary value in lieu of dispensing actual currency or coin.
The complexity and size of these gaming systems creates a number of difficulties. It is desirable to be able to determine the location of a specific gaming machine and obtain information regarding its operation. It is surprisingly difficult to locate a particular gaming machine, given the size of the machine. However, in a large casino with thousands of machines, and considering that the layout of the casino may be changed with some frequency, the location of a particular machine is often somewhat difficult to determine.
Generally, the location is known either through a printed chart or by physically traveling to the casino to find the machine. In the first case, information regarding the gaming machine is rather singular, and more general information which may be pertinent to the location of the gaming machine, such as landmarks in the casino or relationships to other machines or banks of machines, may be lacking. In the second case, the detailed information is provided, but only to the person who travels to the gaming machine and physically observes it and the surroundings of the machine in the casino.
It is also often difficult to obtain information regarding a particular machine. The information regarding a particular machine, such as information regarding player activities, security, cashless transactions and the like may be found in different data files and with different computers or host arranged to implement the various functions or systems with which the gaming machine is associated.
A system which provides information regarding components of a gaming system, such as gaming machines and table games, including location information and game machine activity information, is desired.